During the 2012 preseason there will be certain players that we’ll go back and specifically watch for during the games, trying to get a feel for who will help this team in 2012, and who needs to go home. Prior to the first preseason game against St. Louis, I shared eight players that I would be watching during the game, all eight of which will be reviewed extensively on Colts Authority, along with several other players. The previously reviewed players are listed here:

Korey Lindsey was drafted 207th overall by the Bengals in the 2011 draft, but was cut during final roster cuts. Arizona quickly picked him up off of waivers, but Lindsey never made it into a real game. While his size is concerning for some (5-10, 194 lbs) Lindsey’s instincts are reportedly above average, with good change of direction and fluid hips.

Unfortunately, he’s never been able to put it all together in the NFL.

Lindsey now joins a team that is extremely thin at corner, and has rapidly moved up the ranks. The second year corner jumped ahead of Cassius Vaughn to the third cornerback spot on the most recently updated depth chart.

So, what did he do against the Rams to help his case?

Like I said with the receivers yesterday, it’s very difficult, near impossible, to analyze defensive backs and wideouts without All-22 footage, but there is a little bit of film available from Lindsey’s Indianapolis debut.

And when I say little, I really mean a little. From my count, Johnson was only in the game for two series, along with Terrence Johnson and Buddy Jackson.

Lindsey took the field for several run plays, but only one of them was with him near the line of scrimmage. Lindsey showed great patience on the play, finding the hole and meeting the running back (and making a solid tackle). However, I would have liked to see a bit more aggressiveness, to make a play on the ball carrier, instead of just waiting for the running back come to him.

As far as coverage is concerned, Lindsey only faced four pass plays during his two series, and was only targeted on one play. On third and eight Lindsey lined up in press man coverage as the right cornerback on the sole receiver on the left side.

The St. Louis quarterback rolled to his left, away from pressure on the play, and Lindsey’s man was the only option for the quarterback. Unfortunately, Lindsey’s man had gotten open as Lindsey stumbled when the receiver made his break. Fortunately, Lindsey saved the play (a little bit), by making a diving grab for the receiver’s legs, keeping him to a six yard gain, and forcing a fourth down.

Total numbers:

Tackles: 2

Plays in Coverage: 4

Attempts: 1

Completions: 1

Yards: 6

Overall, it wasn’t an overly impressive showing by Lindsey. I would imagine that Lindsey has been impressing in practice, since he didn’t get much of a chance to show anything on Sunday. I’ll be watching him again against Pittsburgh, where he should get a bit more time playing with the second string, instead of the third.

About Kyle J. Rodriguez

A film and numbers guru, Kyle writes about the NFL and the Indianapolis Colts for Bleacher Report, Draft Mecca and The Football Educator, and is a co-founder and associate editor of Colts Authority.
Kyle also is a high school sports reporter for the MLive Media Group in Michigan, covering high school sports across the state.